Camera Shy
by TheCupcakeMonster
Summary: Sasori never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is, with a lifetime of awful memories and experiences. Will Sasori be able to save him? Or will the darkness of his past make it impossbile? Yaoi. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: The First Shot

**Camera Shy**

**Full Summary: Sasori never thought he'd have to do this. He never thought he'd fall so hard. He never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is. With a lifetime of awful memories and experiences, Deidara simply shows up on Sasori's doorstep one eventful night. Will Sasori be able admit his feelings in time and unearth Deidara's mysterious past? Or will Deidara have so many dark corners in his life that it's impossible to save him? **

**Pairings: SasoDei, DeiSaso, slight ItaHidan and KakuDei**

**Warnings: Yaoi lemon, OOC, mild language, violence, rape, ect. ect...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters. **

**Other: **Talking, _thinking/dreams, _**writing**

* * *

He was wandering aimlessly around the streets, oblivious of the confused stares he received. Lights blinked at him from every corner, the sounds of the city filling his ears.

He stumbled once, flailing his arms out to catch his balance. Unfortunately, his balance wasn't as good as he hoped and he fell forward onto the damp, scraggly sidewalk.

His knees and palms were scraped up as he got to his feet, but he didn't notice the blood running down his dirty skin. He put his hand on the brick wall for support, then started off again.

A woman stopped him, bending down to eye level and asking if he was lost. He didn't answer, he couldn't quite understand what she was saying. It was like one big roar. The woman asked again, and when there was still no reply, she reached for his hand.

He snatched it away and ran off, pushing past her in the other direction. He watched with puzzlement as he disappeared.

He walked for another hour, the crowd thinning out and the noise fading away. All was eerily silent and mysterious as he traveled into the deep, unknown parts of the city of Hokkaido. He could barely read the signs that dotted the streets, but he knew where he was. He also knew that's not where he lived.

He halted abruptly at the sound of a door clicking behind him. He turned and saw a short redhead peer out from his doorway, his expression bored. When he saw the other, he narrowed his eyes.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" He called, expecting the boy to either come towards him or run. But he did nothing. "Kid!" He yelled again, but the piercing blue gaze of the small blonde was clouded.

Sighing with frustration, he stepped down onto the street, going towards the child; he must have only been around ten or eleven years old and he looked filthy.

When Sasori drew closer, he noticed the boy had tied a rag around his left eye. The visible eye was a brilliant turquoise, but it looked milky, like he was blind.

"Hey!" Sasori waved his hand in front of the kid's face, but he didn't move an inch. "What are you doing here, I said!" He groaned as the boy suddenly swayed on his feet, and he begrudgingly held out his arms to catch him. Not a second later, he did, landing lightly in his outstretched hands, unconscious. He was so light, Sasori furrowed his eyebrows together.

_Who is this kid? _He thought as he kicked open the door to his apartment and carried the blonde in. _More importantly, why the hell am I taking him in?! _Even though he didn't want to trouble of dealing with a little brat, he couldn't just leave the poor thing in the street. He didn't like to admit it, but he wasn't completely heartless. He had immediately developed a soft spot for this child, and he didn't know why.

He stood warily in front of his clean, crisp bed, grimacing as he gently set the blonde down atop the blankets.

His clothes were torn and bloody, soaked through to his skin. His blonde hair was slicked over with dirt and there were parts where it had been ripped from his skull.

Sasori put his hand on his forehead; it was warm, but he was shivering.

Taking pity on the scrap, he slipped his shirt off his head and threw it into the garbage, cringing as the smell of blood and sweat fumed around him.

The boy's chest was perfect under all the bruises and scrapes. Some of them were still bleeding, and Sasori sprinted to the closet to gather some bandages and cleaning alcohol. When he returned, he swabbed the kid's cuts and scratches, keeping an eye on his face. His cringed at the sting, but did not awaken.

After carefully wrapping his chest and stomach, Sasori emotionlessly pulled down his pants.

He lived alone, paying off his apartment on a bus boy's salary. It was early in the summer, his first year of high school ending for the year. He was about to turn 15 in November. Living alone at just 14 was second nature to him; he never had parents.

If this child was sick, he needed to find the source, he needed to inspect him.

He moved his gaze around the boy's legs, they were just as bad as his chest and neck. Sasori slowly flipped him over and wrinkled his nose as semen spilled out from between his legs.

_He was raped, _he concluded simply. _That's why he passed out… _He shrugged to himself, deciding he'd wait until the kid woke up, ask him a couple questions, and go from there. He'd return him to his parents eventually, and that would be the end of it.

No problem whatsoever.

But when he turned to the rag tied over his eye, he hesitated. What could he be hiding? He shook his head and untied it, flinging it into the pile where the rest of his clothes lay.

He gasped despite himself at what he saw. Where the boy's left eye should have been was a dull, metal contraption that seemed to be fastened to his face. A few narrow streams of blood trickled out from beneath the things, and dark purple bruises bloomed around the rusted metal, as if boarding it. Sasori stared for a second before reaching out and touching the cool metal, running his fingers over it. It looked simple and yet complicated at the same time. He looked behind the wearer's head to see if there was some way to remove it, but there was no clip or button, or anything. It was just a part of his flesh, it seemed.

A little uneasy, Sasori carried him over to the bathroom and started the shower, placing him delicately in the stream of water. He kept his face away, not wanting to drown him but also not wanting to get his strange eye wet. He didn't know anything about it, whether something would happen or not if it got damp.

Sasori soothingly rubbed out all the lingering muck, realizing that when he was clean, the boy looked kind of…cute.

Shaking the thought from his head immediately, he turned off the water and slowly dried him off. He was still out cold when Sasori pulled one of his own shirts over his small frame. He was unbearably skinny, as if he hadn't eaten in months.

_I wonder who raped him…_ He thought distantly, nestling the blonde into his bed and taking out a spare blanket and pillow so he could sleep on the floor. _Definitely a perverted creep…who would do that to a little kid!? _

He made sure his guest was comfortable before making a make-shift bed on the wooden floorboards at the foot of the bed.

Sasori fell asleep thinking of him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Sasori awoke, he stretched groggily and checked on his blonde company. The boy was sitting upright, looking straight ahead in remote confusion.

"Hi," the redhead greeted warmly, standing up and sitting on the bed next to him. "What's your name?" He asked cautiously, and the kid turned towards him, his gaze sad. There were tears in his good eye, and Sasori felt the urge to reach out and brush them away.

"I don't know, un," he answered, his voice laced with desperation.

"You don't know?" Sasori cocked his head. "…who are your parents?"

"I don't know, un," he said again. Sasori frowned; he probably was just shocked about the other night and couldn't remember anything. If that was the case, he'd have to stay a little longer before Sasori could figure out what to do with him. He also pondered the "un" tacked to the end of his sentences.

"What school do you go to?" He asked.

The blonde repeated his previous answer.

"How old are you?"

The same answer again.

Finally, Sasori told him to stay put and he fled the room, troubled. He fished his phone out of his pocket and called the hospital, sighing with relief as he got Konan.

"Sasori?" She said cheerfully. "What's going on?" "I found this kid outside my door," he began hastily. "He passed out when I found him and I kept him at my place overnight. He was raped, recently too, and when he woke up he had no idea who he was or who his parents were, his age, nothing."

Konan was a specialist in children's health, and that was why Sasori knew her so well. She was a kind and understanding woman, who was calm and encouraging, knowing what to do in any given situation. She was the closest thing Sasori had to a real mother. He was about nine when his parents died from a accident. He had lived with his grandmother until he was 13, then he just couldn't take it anyone. His grandmother was a bitter, cruel old woman who was changed by her daughter's death, Sasori's mother. Of course, she didn't blame Sasori for that, but she was still hardened by her own self-pity. Sasori never knew why she decided to take care of him. Sasori didn't have any other relatives, but she still could have declined his entrance. But she didn't. However, Sasori couldn't stand living with her anymore. She didn't even hesitate to agree that Sasori leave. She gave him enough money to put a down-payment on a small apartment and buy some food for the month. He started going to serveral jobs a day while going to school, but he never once faltered. Sasori was stone-cold. He would no sooner break down than shoot himself. So he lived on his own for a year. He wasn't doing fantastic, but he wasn't doing terrible either. He could handle it all.

Konan was probably his only friend, the only person he trusted most in this world. He never heard of his grandmother again, and he didn't know if she was still alive. He didn't care.

He visited Konan mny times this past year, and not just for checkups and colds. Sasori went to the hospital in his free time and just hung around. Not many of the other doctors knew him, but they saw him around. They knew him as Konan's little friend who didn't talk much.

Many times, Konan had offered for him to move in with her, in her single apartment, but Sasori had refused. Konan had a life of her own, a busy job, and she was still single. He didn't need constant supervision, he liked being alone most of the time. Or he thought he did. He wondered if he really was quite lonely, but surpressed it with some sense of control. He wanted to be in control of everything.

"Bring him in," Konan said calmly, and Sasori felt a bit better knowing she was the one who would be looking after this strange person.

"Hey, kid!" He hung up and glided back into his room, getting tired of calling him "kid."

The blonde raised his head at the sound of Sasori's voice. The first voice he'd heard.

"Kid, un?" He said shakily, glancing down at himself. That's when he noticed he was wearing Sasori's shirt, and his hands flew up to his face where he fiddled around with his mechanical eye. He visibly cringed as his dainty fingers touched the bruises.

"What is that?" Sasori asked gently, daring to cover the boy's hands, lifting them away from his cheek.

"I-I don't know, un…" The expected reply, but this time he sounded irritated, like he was _upset_ he didn't know.

"Here, don't worry," Sasori soothed, wondering why he was being so kind and loving. Well, what was he supposed to do? Shout and yell at a little kid who didn't remember who he was, and had recently been raped? He wouldn't do that, despite his mistrust for strangers.

He extended his arms, and the blonde instinctively crawled into them. The embrace was warm and comforting.

Sasori awkwardly took him down the steps to the sidewalk, and he didn't think he could walk. So he had to carry him all the way down to the hospital. It was right around the corner, thankfully.

They walked in complete silence. Sasori constantly wrenched his gaze down to make sure the boy was okay. He felt like a parent who's child had caught a cold, but the only problem was that he had no idea who this child was.

When they arrived at the hospital, Konan was promptly waiting for them in the waiting room. Suspicious gazes looked up at them, and Sasori tried to ignore them. They probably thought he was dragging in his long lost brother from a deadly car crash. He mentally scoffed.

Konan nodded at Sasori before lowering her eyes to the blonde in his arms. She smiled at him, but he made no sign that he even saw her. He was looking at her, but more like _past _her.

When she pushed her way down the hallway with the pair closely following there, they were joined by two other women; a timid looking brunette and an obnoxious pink-haired girl who looked too…_small _to be older than Sasori was.

"This is Shizune and Sakura," Konan introduced them without pausing in her now-speedy walking. They turned a corner and Konan led them into a vacant room with one window, the curtains closed. A tiny cot supported by wheels sat in the corner, a sink to the right. It seemed too..._ordinary _for their situation.

"Let them ask him a couple questions," Konan said, gesturing for Shizune to pry the blonde from Sasori's grasp. He gave him up unwillingly, eyeing the two suspiciously. Shizune gave him a reassuring nod, but he wasn't convinced.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Konan muttered, dragging Sasori out of the room and quietly shutting the door.

When they were unseen, Konan sighed and kissed Sasori chastely on the cheek, then hugged him longer.

"You've never seen him before?" She asked, all business now. Sasori felt a little unnerved by leaving the boy alone with people he had never met before, but he dismissed his concerns and concentrated on Konan.

"No," he said sadly. "I have no idea who he is."

"You said he was raped…" Konan put her finger to her lip, absorbed in her own musings.

"Yes."

"Do you know who it was?"

"No."

"He just showed up at your door?"

"Uh huh. I didn't get so much as five words in before he passed out."

"How do you know he was raped?" Sasori shot her a lock

"There was semen all over him and he had bite marks on his neck," Sasori folded him arms defiantly, uncomfortable with recalling all this, even if it was to report it back to Konan. It disgusted him, knowing that there was someone out there who would do such a thing to an innocent little kid. "That cut it? Go look at him now."

"Right, right, right…" Konan drifted off into though again, staring at the ceiling, not put off in the slightest by Sasori's scathing tongue.

"What you are going to do about it?" Sasori demanded.

"Get a file on him," Konan said. They stood in tense silence for a while, until they heard a loud _thud _on the other side of the door.

They walked in to see Shizune rubbing the unconscious blonde's back, trying to make him come to.

"What happened?" Sasori questioned warily, stepping forward and shooing Shizune aside, replacing his hand on the boy's back with his own.

"I don't know!" Shizune cried. "We didn't even touch him!"

"What did you ask him?" Konan inquired, directing this at Sakura.

"What his name was, parents, age, things like that," Sakura replied.

"Tell me exactly what you did."

"We didn't say anything for a bit, we were writing things down, and his eyes got wide and his whole body was shaking, and then he just...fell over." Konan pursed her lips.

Sasori comfortably kept his hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly until his eyes fluttered open. He had only been out a couple minutes.

The boy straightened up, coughing. Sakura handed him a cup of water which he quickly downed before nodding his thanks.

"We'll get his file now, his DNA and everything," Konan told Sasori. "Then give him a proper physical…oh, and Sasori?" She leaned in close to his ear. "Thanks for keeping him with you." Sasori was about to argue, but his throat went dry. He had nothing to argue about.

He followed the women, who were guiding Deidara to another, more secluded, room, like he was a newborn baby and they were protecting him from the world. He could understand that; women were naturally motherly, no matter how much they hated kids. It was just their instinct. Both Shizune and Sakura had one hand on his back, and Konan walked behind them. Sasori felt lost at the back of that shielding line, watching. He had brought the blonde in, shouldn't he be a part of it?

Then again, why did he even care?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Deidara!" Konan announced proudly, a single piece of paper in her hand. "His name is Deidara."

"Does he have a last name?" Sasori asked, shifting his gaze to see Deidara through the large glass window, sitting in a chair much too large for him. Sakura stood next to him, talking to him about something Sasori couldn't hear. He didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Not on record," Konan said. "His parents don't have names either, all I know is they died when Deidara was about eight. He's ten now. The DNA match of his parents is absolute, though."

"Why don't you have their names?"

"They were outlaws, their real names were never filed. We're not sure they even had birth certificates."

"Why were they outlaws?"

"They built weapons and other machinery with special uses, but used them from evil purposes. Human experiments, murders, things like that." Sasori crossed his arms. What a life to live, parents as crazy murderers. Where had he been for the two years he was alone?

"Any other relatives?"

"None whatsoever." So he had noplace to go, somewhat like Sasori himself. But Deidara was younger, and seemed to be timid. He couldn't live on his own.

"How did they die?" Konan shrugged.

"Their bodies were discovered years after their actual deaths, hidden in what used to be house. It's strange, I remember them being on the news, and running from place to place. They were never caught. I thought it was impossible, that two murderers, such insane murderers, could be so crafty with where they hid. When they were finally found, the house had been burned down, all evidence lost. They were burn to a crisp. I never knew they'd had a child."

"Deidara doesn't remember any of this? Why?"

"Amnesia, I suppose. I assume he was wandering around by himself for years until you were kind enough to bring him in." Sasori snorted. A kid, running around in the bustling city without a home or memory. He wasn't kind, it was common sense.

"What are we going to do?" Konan sighed, following Sasori's eyes through the window at Deidara.

"He has no where to go, Sasori," she said softly. "We could keep him here until he regains his memory, but I don't think this is the proper place to keep a child of his age." Sasori ignored her implementation, instead asking another question. He wanted all the information he could get; this Deidara was stealing his attention. What a horrible life he must have had, orphaned when he was so young and left to fend for himself…especially when his parents were so…wanted.

"What's that metal eye?" He knew he had hit a still hidden discovery with that, because Konan closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"I don't know," she said at last, exhaling deeply. "We'll have to get professionals to inspect it, maybe take it apart. But I'm afraid he won't let us touch him if he's in a place like this. Besides, this is a hospital. We have other patients. If it's not completely necessary for him to stay, we won't allow it."

"And that's why you want _me _to keep him," Sasori finished glumly. "Listen, Konan, I don't know." He knew he'd feel guilty about it later, but he just couldn't handle a kid right now. He had to keep up with his job, paying his rent, and he liked his solitude. Sure, he had been a bit taken by Deidara, but he was just to complicated to be watched over.

He took a deep breath, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Only for a little while!" Konan pleaded, handing him the paper she had been holding. He looked it over without answering her. May 15, 1999. Deidara had turned ten just a month ago, and that made Sasori feel strangely dismal. Where had he been on that day?

"I don't know how to take care of a ten year old child!" He whined, but discretely slipped Deidara's paper into his pocket. "I can't afford it! And how do I know he's not crazy like his parents!?" Konan withdrew like she had been stung, and Sasori looked away; he knew that wasn't true, he was just making up excuses.

"Does he look like a damn murderer to you?" She snapped. "He's a little boy who can't remember his own name! He's probably on the verge of completely breaking! I'll give you all the money you need! Please, Sasori, don't you feel just a little bit bad for him?"

"Of course I do!" Sasori spat. He knew exactly how Deidara felt. He knew it was unusual for a teenager to buy an apartment, go to school, and hold down a job at the same time. Adding Deidara would just make his life harder. At least it was the summer, and he wouldn't have to attend school every single day. "But…tell me what you plan to do with him. Don't expect him to just move in with me forever." He wasn't agreeing to anything yet.

"I'll expect him to come in frequently for examinations, and we'll start on his eye. He has a few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. He'll have to get his memory back on his own, but I'm hoping you can help him."

"Help him?"

"If you develop a strong enough relationship, maybe it'll g-"

"_A strong enough relationship_?!" Sasori repeated in exasperation, getting to his feet and brushing past Konan. "You expect be to get involved with an ten year old _kid_?"

"I didn't say that…" Konan mumbled, looking at her feet. "I meant…just a friendship…"

"Yes, a friendship," Sasori said curtly, turning the handle on the door that was confining Deidara. He hesitated in opening it. "Konan, he can stay for one week."

"Oh, thank you Sasori!" Konan squealed, clapping her hands in delight. "You won't regret it!" Sasori muttered something under his breath before pushing on the door.

"M-my name, un?" Deidara breathed, and Sasori noticed he wasn't going to be giving up that "un" thing anytime soon. What could that possibly be about? Did he do it on purpose?

Sighing, he realized he'd have to get used it since they were going to be living together.

He shuddered.

_Living together. _

"It's Deidara," Sasori told him, plastering a smile on his face, blocking the comprehension on what he had just done. He wouldn't tell Deidara about his parents, even if he asked. As Konan said, he should regain his memory on his own. Having someone tell him wouldn't be the same. And besides, Sasori doubted that Deidara would appreciate knowing what his parents were.

"Deidara, un…" He looked thoughtful, and Sakura helped him off the chair, ushering him to Sasori.

"I'm Sasori," he said clumsily. It felt weird introducing himself like this, he hadn't met anyone knew in a very long time.

"Sasori," Deidara smiled, but the redhead could see the pain behind the mask. The uncertainty, the disappointment. "Where am I going, un?"

"Home with me," Sasori responded, staring at Deidara's unfolded hand at his side.

"Really, un?" He nodded politely at Sakura and starting walking, not waiting for Sasori to follow.

Konan ruffled his hair as he left the room, but he paid it no mind. He also only provided a simple nod at Shizune. Sasori noticed his politeness with contempt.

When Sasori passed Konan, she grinned sympathetically.

"You'll be okay," she mouthed, and he just scowled at her. "Call me if you need anything!"

The four year difference between them suddenly seemed so much bigger.

* * *

A/N: I am a terrible person. I revised this chapter and replaced it because I didn't like the lack of important details. I was watching a really awesome episode of House, and all of a sudden I thought, OMGEE! I need to make this more specific! So here I am.  
I tried not to make Deidara as OOC as I wanted, but it's hard to write him as an abused child. So I just made him the way I wanted, so there!  
I hope you like it. Please review!

~ The Cupcake Monster


	2. Chapter 2: Delayed Flash

**Camera Shy**

**Full Summary: Sasori never thought he'd have to do this. He never thought he'd fall so hard. He never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is. With a lifetime of awful memories and experiences, Deidara simply shows up on Sasori's doorstep one eventful night. Will Sasori be able admit his feelings in time and unearth Deidara's mysterious past? Or will Deidara have so many dark corners in his life that it's impossible to save him? **

**Pairings: SasoDei, DeiSaso, slight ItaHidan and KakuDei**

**Warnings: Yaoi lemon, OOC, mild language, violence, rape, ect. ect...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters. **

**Other: **Talking, _thinking/dreams, _**writing**

* * *

Sasori took Deidara to his house, realizing he'd have to get some clothes for him. Maybe he could find some old clothes that would fit the blonde. It felt like he had just brought home his baby brother from the hospital, only his baby brother was already ten years old.

"Sasori, un?" Deidara said as Sasori unlocked his apartment door.

"Yeah?" He slid out of his jacket and slung it over the kitchen table. He felt awkward with Deidara following him around. He suddenly felt young, younger than he'd ever felt before. Living on his own had driven many years on him, but he still wasn't ready for a kid. He had too much to worry about…but he just couldn't refuse Deidara, where else would he go?

"Thank you, un," he smiled a cute, dazzling smile.

"Um…y-yeah, no problem…" He muttered, leading Deidara up the stairs into his room…_their _room.

Damn it, where the hell would he sleep!?

"I'll find you some clothes," he told the blonde, telling him to relax. Deidara sat awkwardly on the bed, folding his hands in his lap. He was handling this rather well, Sasori mused. He almost expected that he would have to drag Deidara to his house in tears, his loss of memory terrifying him enough to go insane. It was a surprise Dediara _hadn't _gone insane. He was calm, even if he was scared.

Sasori dug around in his closet for a moment, finding some clothes he had when he was about 11. Deidara was awfully skinny, but then again, he was pretty slim when he was that age, too.

"Try these," Sasori handed them to the blonde, expecting him to exit the room to change, but instead starting pulling off his shirt.

Sasori spun around, locking his eyes on his feet. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed to watch Deidara undress. He was a child, of course he wasn't going to care who saw him. But strangely, Sasori had felt his cheeks heat up at that moment.

When he stopped hearing the rustle of fabric, he turned around again.

His clothes fit Deidara rather well, but they were still a bit big.

They would have to do.

"Are you hungry?" Sasori wondered, returning into the kitchen knowing Deidara would follow him like a puppy.

"No, un," Deidara said distantly.

"You're too skinny." Sasori found himself worrying about the blonde, making it his responsibility that Deidara was healthy. This wasn't his job, he was forced to give Deidara a place to stay!

"I'm fine, un," he insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, un…"

"Well…okay…" He looked Deidara up and down. "How do you feel?" The question was strained. Sasori didn't know how to handle all of this. He didn't know what to say, or how to act. Should he try keeping a coversation with Deidara, to get to know him more, or to show him he could trust Sasori? Or should he just remain silent, giving Deidara his time alone? He didn't know what Deidara was like. They were utter strangers.

"Fine, un." He wondered if this was the right time to start pestering Deidara for information, since he had already said he couldn't remember anything. He would say something if he had a memory, surely.

Deidara lithely hopped up on the table. He looked down at the blonde's feet, without socks.

"You're going to catch a cold," he commented without thinking about it. "It gets awfully cold here at night." Deidara shrugged, but Sasori darted back to his room and tore apart his closet again to try and find a warm pair of socks.

_I'm acting like his mother…_He thought vaguely when he sprinted back to find Deidara exactly like he had left him. _But this is what I'm supposed to do, right? I'm supposed to take care of him. _

He shook his head and bent down on his knees, gaining a disapproving look from Deidara.

"I'm okay, un, really," he argued one last time before Sasori slipped the socks onto his small feet. His toenails looked chipped and scratched, as if he had been dragged somewhere barefoot, and tried to resist.

Sasori shuddered and mentally scolded himself for thinking such negative, morbid thoughts. This certainly wasn't the time.

"Sasori, un, I'm not a child," Deidara said indignantly, but quietly.

"Yes you are." Deidara pouted, but didn't protest anymore. He was still a baby at heart, Sasori thought, wondering how he could have possibly read what was in Deidara's heart so soon. It seemed like he could sense something, something mysterious and dark, a thin wisp of smoke concealing Deidara's life. Sasori could only see so much. What could Deidara be thinking about all this? He was bound to be grateful, to have a home at last, but to live with such a bitter person...was he disappointed? Upset?

"You'll be sleeping in my bed, Deidara," Sasori confirmed, making his way down the hallway again, Deidara tailing close behind.

"But where will you sleep, un?"

"On the floor I guess."

"But it's your house, un."

"It's okay." Sasori shrugged. He didn't mind giving up his bed, not really. Deidara was polite, so it made Sasori feel a little bit better about the whole thing.

"O-okay…thank you, un." Sasori stiffened, the sincerity of his gratefulness stirring him. He couldn't imagine himself getting attached to another human being. Konan was a miracle, and it had taken a while for Sasori to like her. And she was an adult, a nice, responsible woman. She could take care of herself.

Deidara crawled sleepily under the blankets, turning on his side and instantly falling asleep. Sasori watched him for an agonizing moment. He had incredibly long, black and thin, like spider's legs. The metal eye did not change as Deidara slept. It remained icily alert, as if watching the surroundings while Deidara could not. Sasori wrenched his curious gaze away and switched off the light, situating himself on the floor. He took off his shirt and threw it to the side, leaving his pants on and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the single piece of paper and squinted at it through the darkness. Konan had printed this especially for him;

**Name: Deidara**

**Birthday: May 15, 1999**

**Blood type: AB**

**Weight: 34 kg**

**Height: 56 cm **

**Left Handed**

**Hair Color: Blonde**

**Eye Color: Blue**

It was uncomfortably short. Deidara was only 30 kg…Sasori mentally converted in his head…75 pounds. Odd…a healthy ten year old was supposed to weigh at least 70 pounds, but Deidara was much to skinny to be as much as 75...

Sasori blinked a few times before tucking the page back into his pocket. He must have added wrong or something.

He rested his head on the hard wood floor. He was wide awake, full of thoughts and questions. There was too much bouncing around in his head for him to think clearly, to pick one question and focus on it. He felt fuzzy, like he wasn't quite _there, _just _half _there. It didn't seem real, either. Sasori officially had another person living in his single apartment, a mysterious offspring of two pyhscopathic murderers with one of his eyes replaced with a machine. A lot had happened in that one day, and Sasori couldn't just sleep and accept the next morning so soon.

He wasn't in control of this situation, he was hardly in control of his position. He needed to _know _everything. He was a frenzied student at school, especially. After a test, he was riddled with sour anxiety, because he didn't know his score. He wasn't in control of what his score was, or how it was decided. And once he got it back, and saw the red circled number at the top of the page, he relaxed. He _knew. _

But now, he knew nothing. He had no way of knowing. And even though he shouldn't care, he didn't want to care, he did. All because of his obsesion with control. He had to know everyone's business. Not because his was nosy, or wanted to gossip, just because he _had to._

He clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to delve into his weird personality any more. He couldn't help it, it was the way he was born, and there was nothing he could do about it.

There was nothinf he could about Deidara either, he reminded himself. And that fact tore away at him like termites.

* * *

Sasori wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep or not when he heard a pathetic whimpering from above him. He wanted to ignore it, but the whimpering turned to moans, loud echoes sounding off the walls. Eerie, troublings moans.

He rolled over onto his side, knowing he couldn't block it out. He was a very light sleeper, unfortunately, probably because he lived alone. It was an instinct, since there was no one to protect him if something ever happened. But before he could get up, a weight dropped onto him before he could even stand up. It was actually pretty light, but it snapped him out of his state of grogginess immediately. He shifted to get the body off of his hip, and he realized what had plunged on top of him.

Deidara had fallen out of bed, and tears streamed down his one eye as his teeth chattered. It was hard to see him in the dark, but they were close enough for Sasori to make him out.

"Deidara, what's the matter?" He asked blearily, rubbing his eyes as he focused on the trembling form laying on his bare chest. He tried not to be angry, since Deidara was obviously in distress. But he had hardly slept, and was inexplicably irritable.

"I-I--" Deidara stammered, taking a couple deep breaths so he could form words. "I had a bad dream, un…" Sasori inwardly groaned, but smiled understandingly down at the blonde. He wanted to just forget about it, but he just couldn't order Deidara back to bed without comforting him. Deidara looked like a trampled puppy in his arms as Sasori propped himself up on his elbows. Deidara wouldn't meet his gaze.

"It's okay," the redhead assured him. He let Deidara stay with him until he had calmed down, his arms wrapped around his knees as Sasori watched him.

"Are you alright now?" He said carefully. Deidara nodded cautiously, then shot him a pleading glance.

"C-can I stay down here, un? With you?" Sasori recoiled, his face twisting into an expression of awkardness and confusion. Was this what it was like having a child? He thought, then uneasily nodded.

"Yeah," he murmured, thinking it wouldn't be so bad to have Deidara sleep near him. If it helped Deidara, well then, it was what he had to do.

Deidara smiled sheepishly and curled up against Sasori's stomach, burying his face in his chest.

Sasori immediately stiffened at the warmth, staring down at Deidara's golden head. Maybe Konan was right…if they were friends, maybe the blonde would be able to regain his memory faster. But why had Deidara taken a specific liking to _him_? Konan, Shizune, and Sakura had been kinder to him, and Sasori had been on the fence about letting Deidara stay with him. The others would have been _happy _to have the little blonde with them, not miserably inconvenienced.

_I'm so selfish_, he reflected forlornly. He gracelessly wrapped his arms around Deidara's slim waist, even more alert now that he had this second person with him…

He stayed awake for a while, staring into the darkness with blank eyes. Slowly, Deidara's soft breathing lulled in into a restless sleep. Sasori could feel him breath against his body, his tiny heartbeat barely audiable, even in the silence. He seemed to be relaxed, so why wasn't Sasori?

* * *

Sasori pried open his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was the cold. Deidara wasn't in his arms anymore, but sprawled out on the floor with the blanket half covering him.

He looked at the clock; 7:30. Pretty early, but not earlier than he was used to during the summer. He knew he couldn't go back to sleep, so he decided he might as well find something useful to do.

He rose quietly, making sure not to wake the blonde as scooped up his shirt from yesterday and crept into the kitchen. He hoped Konan needed Deidara at the hospital, for he had no plans today. He actually just wanted to lie in bed all day and enjoy the freedom of summer, but that probably wasn't enough for Deidara.

He opened the cabinets to see if there was anything decent he could make for breakfast, but he heard soft footsteps in the hallway and a ruffled blonde appeared before him.

"Deidara, what are you doing up so early?" Deidara drowsily stepped forward, gazing at Sasori with hopeful eyes.

"N-nothing, un, never mind," he said in embarrassment. He had woken up alone, and that frightened him.

"Go back to bed," Sasori ordered.

"I can't, un." Sasori sucked in his breath to keep calm.

"What do you want for breakfast?" He beckoned Deidara over and sat him in one of the kitchen chairs.

"You don't need to make anything, un," Deidara insisted. "I can get it myself, un."

"Don't be silly, Deidara. Are you hungry?"

"S-sure." Neither of them were used to living together, after all, it was only the first morning.

"What do you want?"

"A-anything's fine, un." Sasori searched around for something to make for Deidara. To start with, he stuck two pieces of bread in the toaster, turning back to ask Deidara what he wanted to drink, but the blonde's head was resting on his arms, and he was fast asleep.

Despite himself, Sasori smiled. Actually smiled. It was a natural reaction to something so cute.

His mind was blank as he watched the blonde. The toast was already popped up in the toaster, getting cold, but Sasori paid it no mind.

His phone rang in his pocket, and he quickly answered it before it could wake Deidara.

"Hello?" He whispered.

"How was you first night together?" Konan wondered cheerfully.

"Um…fine, I guess," he answered apprehensively.

"How did he sleep?"

"He woke up in the middle of the night."

"Why?"

"He said he had a bad dream." Konan giggled.

"Did you take care of it?"

"Y-yeah…" The image of a crying Deidara snuggling up to him involuntarily crossed his mind. He didn't know what to think of the blonde's affections. Obviously, Deidara had chosen him to be his favorite.

"Where is he now?" Konan resumed.

"Sleeping."

"Can you bring him in when he wakes up?"

"Sure." They ended the conversation. Sasori hadn't asked what they were going to do with Deidara, and he tried to not care. He turned off his phone so it wouldn't ring again and shifted around Deidara so he could lift the boy off his chair. He didn't stir as Sasori carried him bridal style back to his room. His makeshift bed on the floor was in disarray and he carefully stepped over it and set the blonde on the unmade mattress.

He hoped he would sleep for a while, giving him time to himself, time to think.

But the hour he had of solitude was wasted by a constant surveillance of Deidara. He talked in his sleep, mute mutterings that Sasori wished he could make out. He also continuously moved to different positions, sometime so much, his head would be at the foot of the bed while his feet at the top. It was…hard to explain why Sasori kept his watch. He couldn't look away.

At last, around ten am, Deidara roused and sat up, blinking at Sasori, who shook his head, wanting to hide how absorbed he had been in Deidara's sleep.

"Morning," he said. "Or, afternoon."

"Why didn't you wake me up, un?"

"You were tired…" he hesitated. "Konan wants to see you today."

"Oh."

"Do you not want to go?"

"That's not it, un…"

"Then what is it?" Sasori pressed, seeing Deidara's indecision to confess. Again, he just wanted to know what Deidara was thinking, so he could store it in his mind with all the rest of the knowledge he know possessed because of his determination to know.

"I'm scared, un," he finally admitted, and Sasori froze.

"Of what, Deidara?" He made an attempt to sound soothing, but he wasn't sure if it worked or not.

"I don't know, un."

"Everything will be okay," Sasori reassured him, and without realizing it, motioned Deidara over to him. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if everything was going to be okay, and that bothered him almost as much as Deidara himself. Why did Deidara have to come to _him_? Why did he have to open his door at the exact moment Deidara was about to faint? What were the chances that an orphan boy on the busy streets would be such a strange case, a case that he wanted to investigate. Konan could have taken him in. Sasori could have set his foot down and refused, no matter how guilty it made him feel. But he didn't. And he was dealing with what was expected of an underage amnesiac. He was acting so out of character now that Deidara was in life. He 'adopted' Deidara without being sure of what would happen. Normally, he wouldn't do that if he was promised ten million dollars. And yet...

The blonde warily stood up and sat on Sasori's lap, leaning his head against the redhead's neck. Sasori was tense, but Deidara was soft and peaceful, enjoying the embrace. The contact was foreign to Sasori, he hadn't hugged anyone like this since his own parents.

"Konan's a nice person, really," Sasori said stiffly. He was trying to set Deidara's mind at rest about his trip to the hospital, but he didn't know how to. "It'll be okay. She'll figure something out."

He was growing fond of Deidara, and it was tearing down his barriers, his routines, everything he had had before the blonde showed up in his life.

* * *

Konan greeted them gleefully when they reached the hospital, and Deidara was friendlier in turn, obviously in a better mood after Sasori's "encourgement."

"Was Sasori nice to you, Deidara?" Konan directed this at the blonde, but she was really just saying it to irritate Sasori.

"Um…yeah, un."

"Are you hungry?" Deidara didn't answer, so Sasori did for him.

"I would think so. I tried to give him something this morning, but he fell asleep. Do you have something here?"

"Of course I do!" Konan skipped off into another room, returning with a chilled riceball, half wrapped in paper. She gave it to Deidara, telling him to ask if he wanted anything else.

"Amazing, Konan," Sasori grumbled. Of course she had something with her. She would have been better for Deidara.

"What did you expect?" She said smugly, pulling Deidara into a room with Shizune and Sakura standing in the corner. The room was spacious, a few inconspicious cabinets and dressers. A bed sat in the center, and it looked more comfortable than a normal cot in a hospital room. Another door was ajar to the right, and Sasori saw an X-ray machine in there, the lights off.

There was also new character Sasori didn't recognize. He was an extremely pale, poorly-clad man that looked around 18 or 19, it was hard to tell; his face looked young, like a teenager's. His grayish hair was slicked back behind his ears, just long enough that he touched his shoulders. Even from where he was standing, Sasori could see the excess amount of hair-gel.

"This is Hidan," Konan introduced him, and Hidan grinned a supposedly seductive grin, slinking forward to closely inspect Deidara's left eye.

The blonde flinched, shrinking back into Sasori, who was fuming at Hidan. He looked unproffesional, and this irritated Sasori.

"Are you _trying_ to scare him?" He snarled, and Konan's smile faded into a disappointed frown.

"Hidan," she warned, and he reluctantly drew away from Deidara. If Konan had to warn him with such a stern voice, then Hidan was no more an adult than Deidara was. Sasori glared at him suspiciously.

"Sorry," she then apologized to him and Sasori. "He's a little…eager."

"Eager," Sasori scoffed, but caught himself before he could start an argument in front of Deidara.

"He'll be examining your eye today," Konan said guiltily, and Sasori threw them both a scathing look.

"I don't think so." He wasn't sure why he was being so protective of the blonde, but he felt this seething need to be Deidara's shield. No matter how much he hated to acknowledge it, he _was _starting to like Deidara. Although he was good at hiding his emotions, Konan was very perceptive. She knew Sasori like he was her own son, and she could always tell what he was really feeling. That thought pertrubed him even more.

"Sasori, he's the only one who can do it," Konan pointed out coolly. "He's a speciaist. We're lucky he agreed to come here. He wouldn't dare disobey me." She narrowed her eyes at Hidan.

"What?" Hidan's voice was low and sensual, like a deep rumble in the back of his throat at every word. "I make my own rules."

"But you _follow _mine," Konan said threateningly, and that was the end of that. Deidara was taken aback by the sudden confrontation; seeing sweet, blissful Konan growl at someone like that was unsettling.

"Now," she continued, "Deidara, please come sit on this bed." Deidara reluctantly obeyed, climbing on top of the white cotton bed and resting his stare securely on Sasori. But Hidan broke the trance by stepping deliberately in front of the redhead.

"Let's look at this here," he purred, tracing his long, nimble fingers along Deidara's metal eye. The boy cringed, but didn't move as Hidan fiddled with the back, trying to find a way to open it.

He picked at a notch in the side with a sharp fingernail, skillfully clicking the top open. Sasori raised his eyebrow; he hadn't expected it to open so easily. Hidan really _was_ a specialist.

"Look at this!" He said in awe, admiring the inside of the machine. It made no sense to Sasori except a bunch of wires and things, but Hidan was marveling at it.

He slipped past the older man to stand behind Deidara, watching Hidan with an acid expression.

"What does it look like to you?" Sakura inquired. Shizune kept shyly quiet.

"It's hard to tell…" Hidan murmured, poking around things so he could see farther. "It's so…complex!"

Deidara glued his other eye shut as Hidan's husky breath rushed past his nose.

Suddenly, a flashback materialized, one about Deidara's parents. He remembered them working nonstop in the basement, leaving Deidara alone almost all the time. He remembered them having to move a lot, never really keeping a stable home. And he never understood why.

"S-Sasori?" He called out, stumbling around the memory.

"What is it?" Relief flooded through him as he heard Sasori's voice.

"M-my parents…they…" Konan leaned forward as Deidara recalled something from his past. Sasori noticed with acute awareness every little change in Deidara's appearance, how he fidgeted, his gaze fixed on a specific spot. Was he observing the blonde too closely? Was he turning soft after years and years of being cold and lifeless? Why would a insignificant blonde with a disturbed past change the way Sasori felt, the way he _lived_!?

But he was…he was changing Sasori drastically. A tiny, timid boy was turning Sasori's world.

"They…were always busy, un, " Deidara went on. "I-I was always alone, un. They worked…o-on their experiments…un…we moved a lot. But they never told me anything, un." Konan waited for more, but it looked like Deidara was done.

Hidan knew well enough to end his work, snapping the blonde's eye shut and moving away. He had nothing to do with their personal moments.

Deidara looked away as soon as Hidan released him, stepping down from the bed.

"That's enough of this," Sasori said resolutely. "I don't want to see Hidan." As if on orders, Hidan stalked out the door, a small smirk playing on his lips. Once he was gone, Deidara relaxed.

"Finish this," Konan whispered, handing Deidara his half-eaten riceball, but he refused it. "I just have to do a few more examinations and you'll be done." Deidara just nodded, and Sasori narrowed his eyes. This occurrence had been an impact on him as well; he had remembered something, however something small and not very useful, he had remembered. That was a good sign; he was progressing.

"Sasori, you can leave if you want," Konan said briskly. "I have to do a little physical, make sure any cuts or anything haven't reopened, infection, whatever." Deidara's composure flickered for the briefest of moments.

"I'll stay," Sasori assured them both. "It's fine." Where else would he go?

"Alright…but you're going to have to let go of his hand." Sasori, puzzled, opened his mouth to question this, but then looked down at his and Deidara's hands intertwined.

"R-right!" He yelped, louder than he had intended. He untangled his fingers from the blonde's and pressed himself against the wall, mortified.

"Don't get defensive," Konan chuckled, nodding to Deidara for him to take off his clothes.

"I-I wasn't!" Sasori could have kicked himself. He couldn't believe it.

"Shh, never mind," Konan silenced him, lifting Deidara's arms up and turning his attention away from the humiliated Sasori. Holding Deidara's hand through his memory had just seemed natural, he hadn't even realized he had done it.

"Your bruises are healing nicely," Konan commented gladly, tracing her finger delicately along a crescent-shaped nail mark on his stomach.

"Konan, un?"

"Mm hmm?"

"What happened to me, un? Why do I have all these marks?" Konan tensed, glancing at Sasori for help, but he remained motionless. He wasn't about to say anything, especially something that would upset Deidara.

"Um, nothing to concern yourself, Deidara," she said quietly. "Don't worry about it."

"I want to know, un."

"Deidara, it's okay. You're ready for some new bandages."

"Konan, un, please?" Konan sighed.

"Do you remember anything that happened yesterday, that night?" Konan wasn't about to tell Deidara he was raped, but maybe he would guess it himself. But then what would happen? What kind of memory would that be? A terrible one, surely, and how would it affect him? Rape was traumatizing, even for an adult. For a child...it could mess up his mind entirely. Suddenly remembering that he had been used, hurt.

"N-no." Konan staggered around for words, unable to think of putting it nicely.

"Never mind, un," Deidara mumbled, allowing Konan to inspect his bruised legs in relief.

"Hee hee, Sasori looks uncomfortable. Now why is that, Sasori?"

"You know perfectly well that there is nothing going on here," Sasori hissed, his voice soaked with hostility. Deidara hung his head, stung that he made Sasori yell.

"That I do, Sasori, that I do…" She dismissed it easily, swinging her eyes back to Deidara. He appeared badly beaten up, but he was healing. No cuts had reopened, they looked fine.

She hurriedly finished her task, and tossed Deidara his clothes. She kissed him innocently on his cheek, but he blushed red all the same.

"Don't worry about anything, Deidara. Everything will be fine. Sasori will take care of you, I promise." She leaned in closer to Deidara's ear so Sasori couldn't hear her. "He really likes you, even though he won't admit it. Go easy on him!"

"O-okay…" Deidara bit his lip, wondering if what Konan had told him was true.

"Come on Deidara," Sasori called, and Deidara obediently fell into step next to him, instantly grabbing the redhead's swinging hand and holding it tightly as they departed the hospital. Sasori let him, deciding that holding his hand wasn't completely unbearable.

But not nice.

He would never admit that.

Konan scrutinized them as they left, her face serious but her heart fluttering. Sasori had given Deidara exactly what he needed, and it would surely make things a little easier for all of them.

* * *

A/N: I revised this one too. Sorry it's so long, but that's kind of the point. Mysteries have details, and mysteries are damn hard to write! I can't write mysteries, so this one is like...a miracle. I figure out the bad guy, how it's gonna end, all the clues, but I don't know how to make the people find them...I suck. But I hope you like this. I changed a lot, because I wasn't happy with how affectionate Sasori was being. He is still a little OOC, but not as much as before. So...be happy with it.

~The Cupcake Monster

PS...I like riceballs. Therefore, Deidara does too.


	3. Chapter 3: Family Album

**Camera Shy**

**Full Summary: Sasori never thought he'd have to do this. He never thought he'd fall so hard. He never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is. With a lifetime of awful memories and experiences, Deidara simply shows up on Sasori's doorstep one eventful night. Will Sasori be able admit his feelings in time and unearth Deidara's mysterious past? Or will Deidara have so many dark corners in his life that it's impossible to save him? **

**Pairings: SasoDei, DeiSaso, slight ItaHidan and KakuDei**

**Warnings: Yaoi lemon, OOC, mild language, violence, rape, ect. ect...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters. **

**Other: **Talking, _thinking/dreams, _**writing**

* * *

Around midnight, Sasori awoke to the same whimpering he had heard the night before. Sighing, he stood up from the floor and gently shook Deidara's shoulder.

"Deidara…?" He whispered, but the blonde's eye remained closed, his thin lips open in quiet cries. "Deidara, wake up and come down…" Deidara didn't wake, but moaned in his sleep, like he was in pain. "Deidara…" He tried to rouse him for another moment before groaning and doing something he'd never thought he'd do in his life.

He crawled into bed with Deidara and put his hand on the blonde's shaking back. Soon, he was breathing normally again.

Sasori felt odd in his bed with another person in it, with his hand on another person's back, with his heart beating a thousand miles an hour for another person. Deidara had relaxed so quickly with Sasori next to him, it astounded him. What had he done, to make Deidara so comfortable? As far as he knew, he hadn't been all that nice, just curious, and instinctively protective.

_This is bad…_ he thought. _I _am _getting too attached, but it's not going to be this way forever. Sooner or later, Deidara is going to go somewhere else, and we'll probably never see each other again...so why does that make me so upset!?_

Sasori stirred a little before noon, glad he had slept so late. It killed time.

For a moment, he took his time getting used to being awake, looking out the window to see a bright sun looming overheard, and then he noticed something.

Deidara was enveloped in his arms, crushed against his chest like it was the last thing he'd ever do.

But he didn't pull away at first. He savored the warmth of the little form, the soft breathing sending chills up his spine. He didn't think about it, he just did it. He just lay there, breathing.

Finally, he composed himself and slithered away, managing to stand without waking Deidara. With one last wistful look at him, Sasori pulled the covers up to his chin and tiptoed out of the room.

Troubled, he leaned against the door and reluctantly called Konan. He knew Konan was probably tearing her hair out over all these calls from him, but he had to. He forced himself to rely on her for this. To accept advice.

She answered quickly, asking if anything was wrong.

"No, nothing's wrong," Sasori told her quietly.

"Then why are you calling? Deidara doesn't need to come in today." Sasori didn't know what to say then. He didn't _need _to call, he didn't know why he had. So he just blurted out the first thing he thought of, the only thing he was currently focused on the most.

"Is it wrong to like someone younger than you?" He sealed his mouth shut immediately after, hoping he had just said that in his mind instead of out loud.

"No." He was surprised at her answer. He expected flying giggles and teasing, making fun of him for possibly having a crush on Deidara.

"H-how do you know?" Sasori demanded. If Konan knew...Sasori needed to. Not being aware of his own feelings was even worse than been unaware of his surroundings.

"Age doesn't matter, Sasori. It's what the inside that counts." There was a silence.

"This doesn't sound like never-serious Konan," he said softly. In fact, it was exactly what Sasori needed to hear. If Konan was serious about this, then obviously, it was real, this was happening. Sasori liked Deidara. The first person in the world to ever get Sasori's attention, and he was ten years old. What did this mean, what should he do now? He didn't know if he could go on living with Deidara when he liked him in this way. He was expected to take care of Deidara as his child, not his...

"Well…this is an important matter," she replied simply, and Sasori clenched his hands together. It was important, more important than Sasori wanted it to be. How he felt about Deidara could change what happened to him. If they continued to be so friendly with each other, Deidara might remember his past quicker and he would become...normal. But if Sasori started being awkward with him, because of what he had discovered about himself, Deidara could distance himself from both Sasori and his own mind. He would block out his memories because of his confusion from Sasori ignoring him. Sasori played a drastic roll in Deidara's future, and he wasn't sure if he could handle that responsibility.

"How are coming along…money wise?" Sasori shook his head at Konan's next question, realizing he was trying to change the subject. Sasori anwered gratefully.

"I'm okay so far."

"If you need to borrow some, don't hesitate to ask me."

"I don't know if I could pay you back, though."

"Don't worry about it, you need it more than I do." Sasori was put a little at ease by Konan's kindness; that was just like her. She always thought he was much too young to be getting along by himself at just 14, but he had been just fine up until Deidara…he was too mature and somber for her liking. Why would a teenager in the dawn of life worry about paying back a _woman _who made more money in a week than he did in a year? He thought like an adult, and that was the problem! She supposed she was giving up Sasori's much needed adolescent years by dropping him with Deidara, but it seemed he liked having the little blonde around...to an extent.

"How's your job?" She resumed.

"I have an all day shift tomorrow and Saturday…I'm thinking about quitting."

"Why?"

"Where would I put Deidara all day?"

"Take him with you. Believe me, he'll be happy with just being around you."

"Next week, I only have Sunday off…I don't want him coming with me everyday. It would be troublesome."

"Well, you could ask for less hours." Sasori shrugged, even though he knew Konan couldn't see it. Quitting his job would mean no paycheck, but as Konan often reminded him, he didn't need to worry about money. But Sasori liked to take care of himself; he didn't just take handouts like he was hopeless. He _wasn't _hopeless, but if he didn't quit his job, Deidara...

"Don't fret about it now, it'll be fine," she reassured him, but Sasori didn't think it worked. He fretted about it anyway.

There was a silence for a moment, their rusty breathing the only sounds on either line.

"Well...please bring him tomorrow, around...one pm. I should be free then."

"Okay. See you." He hung up feeling a bit better about the day, but not about what would happen the next. He didn't share Konan's flexibility to take each day when it came. He needed a plan, a schedule.

He needed to _know. _

Grumbling to himself, Sasori dragged himself into the kitchen and made himself some tea. Konan told him he was too young for coffee, so he gradually came to like tea.

What did ten year olds like?

Growling begrudgingly to the wall, he filled his mind with images of Deidara as he made--tried--to make breakfast.

* * *

Deidara stumbled into the kitchen around noon, looking content.

"How did you sleep?" Sasori asked, motioning for him to sit down at the table. Seeing Deidara made his heart thump, for what, there were too many reasons.

"G-good, un." He stared at the breakfast Sasori had made him guiltily.

"You didn't have to do this, un…" He murmured.

"It's okay." Sasori smiled and leaned back in his chair, watching Deidara warily begin to eat. "Did I do a good job?"

"Yeah, un. Thanks…aren't you hungry, un?" Sasori shrugged; he didn't usually eat breakfast anyway, so making it was another thing he would have to eventually get used to. But now...he thought, perhaps, it wouldn't be so hard. He wasn't completely reassured, but he was a bit more at ease. _Age doesn't matter, _Konan had told him. That might be true, but did that apply to them, both too young to be thinking about such things anyway? Yes, Sasori was a teenager, but he didn't know the feeling of liking someone, of feeling affection for them, admiration, everything that came along with the fluttering of his heart.

"Come on, un. Eat something, I'll feel bad, un." He grinned, holding out a forkful of strawberry, the green tops neatly sliced off.

Without consciously thinking about it, Sasori took the bite Deidara held out for him. It was strangely…romantic, in a way, like something a married couple would do. Sasori pulled away again, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"Where do you want to go today?" Sasori asked casually.

"I don't care, un. Whatever you want to do, un."

"Finish your breakfast," he ordered, standing up and looking out the closed window; still sunny.

Sasori took Deidara to the park. He was excited enough, so Sasori thought this was a good choice. He seldom went there as a child, since he had never aquired an interest in carefree play. But Deidara was a kid, he reminded himself, and much different than the kind of kid Sasori had been.

It seemed natural for them to be together somehow, like they had known each other their whole lives. It was…pleasant.

The only word that could file past Sasori's mind was _cute. _Him and Deidara had conversations he'd never thought he'd have with such a young boy, and he also discovered a lot about the blonde. For now, he figured things could continue on the way they were.

But of course, pleasent times cannot last without some sort of bitter interference.

He was dreamily pushing Deidara on the swing, when Deidara told him something he wasn't expecting.

"Sasori, un?" Sasori took the two chains in his hands, stopping Deidara so he could gaze at him. Their mouths were just inches apart.

"Yeah?"

"You're a pretty nice guy, un."

"I'm...glad you approve, Deidara..." Sasori said cautiously, and Deidara smiled. He was so easy to please, as if he had completely forgotten his situation, his amnesia, his metal eye, everything. This one moment of contentment was enough to make Deidara happy and that, in turn, made Sasori happier than he had ever been before.

He looked hopefully into the blonde's bright blue gaze. His one eye was beautiful to make up for the other, dull, ugly one. A deep moonlit pool, in its depths swirling secrets, deep secrets locked within his eyes like a great treasure.

He then ever-so-softly pressed their lips together.

Deidara did not pull away, but tilted his head back to give Sasori a better angle. It was simple and closed, nothing like Sasori would imagine his first kiss would be. Deidara probably didn't either. It wasn't awkward or messy, it was perfect, and Sasori could practically see the fireworks explode around his head. This time, he hadn't thought about it. He _always _thought about his next actions, planned them carefully, looking at them from every side. But no, this time, it was entirely spontaneous. Another thing he'd never thought he'd do, but willed into it by Deidara's hypnotizing gaze.

Finally, the Sasori stepped back, blushing darkly. His first kiss, and he was already 14 years old. It was a little late for his first kiss, but it was amazing, and he didn't care how wrong it was, how strange.

"S-sorry…!" He said quickly, looking down as not to see Deidara's face. He assumed the blonde was angry for kissing him without any warning, but he couldn't resist. His lips looked so soft and inviting, plump pillows on his angel face. Now, he realized what he had just done. He had just treaded on a nitch in Deidara's mind. He could have either smoothed it over, or chipped it deeper.

"T-that's okay, un…" Deidara said, and instead of furious, his expression was thoughtful. Sasori breathed out a sigh of relief, but then the calm, intrigued expression faded.

"D-Deidara…?" He swallowed nervously when he saw Deidara looking straight ahead, his visible eye blank and unseeing.

"They…put things down in my head, un, when I was eight, a-around November…" he whispered, and Sasori knew instantly he was talking about his parents. He listened intently, everything forgotten as he focused on Deidara's memory. "It's in my brain, un, and they wanted…they wanted me to be able to see and do things that normal people couldn't, un…but…it didn't work…I-it just makes me say this, un."

"It makes you say what?"

"Un, at the end of my sentences. I remember it hurting for weeks, un, and I can't stop saying it. I-I don't know exactly what they did...but they were mad, un. Mad that it didn't make me have...see-through vision or something...s-so...mad..." Sasori gulped down a scream of hatred as Deidara slowly faded back from his remembrance. The vague look was gone, but the color refused to fill out in his cheeks. He was ghostly pale.

"I'll take you home now," Sasori tried to sound calm as he scooped Deidara into his arms and headed home. He was anxious to call Konan and report what he now knew, but he wanted to make Deidara comfortable. He didn't think Deidara needed to be carried, but he was impatient. That wonderful kiss had somehow dissolved into unimportance after being followed by such a dark and serious event.

_There's something that his parents installed in his brain that makes him involuntarily say "un" all the time… _Sasori reflected quickly. _But it didn't do what they wanted it to. To see and do things that normal people couldn't, and they were angry...can we take this out, or will it be there forever? _He was infuriated with his parents even more now that he knew what else they had done to Deidara. It seemed like they hadn't cared about Deidara at all, if they were willing to test their freak experiments on him.

When they reached Sasori's apartment, he was biting his lip to keep from blurting out questions. Deidara didn't need to answer anything.

"Sasori, un, I didn't--" Deidara began, but Sasori _shh_ed him.

"You look tired," he said coolly. "Sleep now."

"W-will you be here when I wake up, un?" Sasori could have fainted. It was sort of..._nice, _having someone depend on him, need him. He was afraid of all this responsibility, in a way, afraid he would someone mess up with Deidara leaning on him. That's why he didn't have friends, or wasn't particularly close to anyone. People were complex, even Sasori had his own cracks in his armor that he didn't understand and couldn't explain. Others were perhaps more complicated, perhaps less. But Sasori didn't know, and could never find out. Deidara was so full of mysteries, but mysteries he knew. Just couldn't remember.

"Y-yeah, I'll be here," he promised shakily.

"I can't sleep, un…" Sasori gazed kindheartedly at the blonde and sat down on the bed next to him, putting his hand on his damp forehead.

He rubbed Deidara's head soothingly until he started to drift off. Long after he had fallen asleep, Sasori kept massaging his temples until he was absolutely sure he'd be okay. Really, he stayed there for himself. To escape having to think.

Reluctantly, he left Deidara and hurriedly called Konan, almost bouncing with unease. Should he have just ran over, without calling? No...this wasn't such a huge emergencey, even if Sasori thought it was. It was better to let Deidara rest, to sleep off the fear of his memories.

"Sasori, what is it now?" Konan answered, and Sasori exploded into everything he had seen.

"We were at the park, and everything was okay, at first. But then all of a sudden he started remembering things. He said when he was eight, He said around November, his parents put something down his brain that was supposed to give him the ability to see and do things that other people couldn't, special powers, I guess. But it didn't work, it didn't do what they wanted, So instead, he says "un," because he can't stop it, the thing is making him do it! Why would they do that to him when he was just a child?!"

"Sasori, calm down," Konan interrupted. "I don't want him to come in today. Bring him in tomorrow, like I told you. Don't take him anywhere until noon tomorrow, keep him in bed, and then we'll think about it more...what did you do that made Deidara remember that?" Sasori blushed, quickly debating on whether or not to tell Konan what actually happened or make something up.

He couldn't risk lying about it.

"I-I kissed him," he mumbled, but to his surprise Konan didn't go on about it.

"I think there's things that trigger his memories," she said. "Maybe fear, pain, or love, or some other strong emotion. When Hidan examined his eye, he seemed terrified…" Sasori understood her musings, but what had Deidara felt when he had kissed him? Anger, or…something else?

"Is he sleeping now?"

"Uh huh."

"Take care of him, Sasori. He really needs you." She hung up without another word, and Sasori sank to the ground, his head spinning. The phone slipped from his hand and clattered onto the floor, the dial tone still loud.

"Deidara…" He shook his head sleepily; he hadn't realized just how tired he was until then. He let his eyes droop and his worries wash away into sleep.

He awoke later to the sound of the shower running, and he frantically looked at the clock.

"Damn it!" It was already eight am, he must have slept the entire night on the floor. He sprinted to the bathroom and flung open the door, breathing a sigh of relief, when Deidara greeted him.

"Sorry I didn't ask to use your shower, un," he said, the water muffling his voice. Sasori abruptly remebered when they first "met," when Sasori hadn't known if the eye could get wet. Obviously, it could. It must be pretty powerful to be such complicated metal technology and waterproof. "I didn't want to wake you, un."

"_I'm _sorry," Sasori corrected him, shamefaced. "How did you sleep?" He sat on the sink and folded his hands in his lap. He should have been there with Deidara, especially after yesterday, after he had promised he'd be there when he woke up. The redhead felt awful, like he had betrayed him. Anyone else, and he would have waved it off easily. But Deidara was different. He was special, and he meant a lot to Sasori, despite his better judgement.

"Fine, un. You?" He uncomfortably prodded a knot in his back.

"Okay."

The water shut off and Sasori awkwardly handed Deidara a towel.

"We have to go in today at noon," he informed the blonde, and he didn't need to mention "go in" meant they had to go back to the hospital. Deidara knew.

He stepped out of the shower with the towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Sasori hopped off the sink and hugged Deidara close to his chest. His wet body soaked through his shirt, but that just made him embrace him closer. It felt…right, not embarrassing. They were close now, no longer strangers. So much more.

"Deidara, I'm sorry," he said again, pressing his cheek to the blonde's ear. He was really taking what he had promised to heart; the last thing he wanted to do was break a promise he made to Deidara. Something so small was so big to Sasori.

"Sasori, un, it's no big deal…"

"It is to me…" They stood there for a couple minutes, until Sasori pulled away.

For the first time, he noticed Deidara was wearing a necklace, a choker really. The pendent was a simple, thin, gold rectangle hung by a black rope.

"What's that?" Sasori asked, gesturing at the necklace.

"I don't know, un." Sasori nodded his understanding, shuffling Deidara out of the bathroom to get dressed.

* * *

A/N: UGH! Another terrible chapter. I like this idea, I just wish I could write it better....oh well, sorry for the long delay, I'm getting around to it, I promise.  
But...on the bright side, MORE MYSTERY!! The UN, the CHOKER. What could possibly come next?  
You have to wait another five years or so...

~ The Cupcake Monster


	4. Chapter 4: RedEye

**Camera Shy**

**Full Summary: Sasori never thought he'd have to do this. He never thought he'd fall so hard. He never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is. With a lifetime of awful memories and experiences, Deidara simply shows up on Sasori's doorstep one eventful night. Will Sasori be able admit his feelings in time and unearth Deidara's mysterious past? Or will Deidara have so many dark corners in his life that it's impossible to save him? **

**Pairings: SasoDei, DeiSaso, slight ItaHidan and KakuDei**

**Warnings: Yaoi lemon (shota), OOC, mild language, violence, rape, ect. ect...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters. **

**Other: **Talking, _thinking/dreams, _**writing**

* * *

"Deidara, it's been so long!" Konan feigned exasperation at the 24 hour period they had been apart. "Here, sit on the bed and I'll be there in second!" Even though she sounded cheerfuly, Sasori saw through it easily. She was worried.

As they slipped out into another room, Konan let her concern show.

"We might have to give him a cat-scan to see if we can see what he claims is in his brain," she told him.

"Did you notice he's been wearing a necklace?" Sasori changed the subject. A cat-scan did not sound pleasent to him at all. And surely, it wouldn't to Deidara either. Sasori noticed a stuffed manilla folder marked **Deidara**.

"No…was he?"

"Yes. He doesn't know what it is."

"Do you think we should check it out?"

"Maybe. It doesn't look that important, I just noticed it this morning."

"Alright then, we will." No matter how tiny something seemed on the outside, with Deidara, it could mean something much more. With all his mysteries, and his strange past, many things could be hidden within that pendent that they didn't understand. "Hidan won't be back for a while yet, so don't worry about him."

"Where he is?"

"He went somewhere on a job." Sasori didn't ask what he did; he didn't care anyway. Besides, Konan seemed unwilling to tell him, so he didn't press. He probably got paid pretty well for being a "special mechanics expert," so any other job couldn't be more important than Deidara...

But Sasori disliked Hidan to begin with, so if there was more time in between his visits, the better.

"So..." Konan recalled, closing her eyes, trying to think about what had happened, trying to piece everything together. "About a month before their disappearence, Deidara's parents' installed something into his brain. But it didn't work, instead giving him this speech impediment. Do you think it could have something to do with his metal eye?"

"Sounds likely..."

"Hmm...The cat-scan should show us something, but the metal in his eye might reflect some starburst(1), but seeing as it's attached to his face, there's not much we can do. We'll try to look around it, and see what we find..." She went through their conversation, to see if she had forgotten anything, but there was nothing.

They shuffled back into the other, Deidara obediently sitting on the bed. Konan didn't miss the glint of happiness flick past his gaze when he saw Sasori come towards him.

Konan fingered the pendent of his necklace.

"Can I see it?" She asked sweetly, and he nodded, letting his slip it from his neck.

She inspected it for a brief moment, then placed it on a low table to be looked at later.

"How do you feel? You know, your cuts and everything?"

"Okay..." He was trembling slightly, and Sasori wondered was he seemed so scared today.

"What happened with Sasori yesterday?"

"Konan!" Sasori snapped at Konan's sudden question.. She knew, he had already _told _her! Why was she putting Deidara on the spot like that? He surely didn't want to answer something like that.

"N-nothing, un…" He said softly.

"He kissed you." It was a statement that made Sasori want to break something.

"Y-yes, un…"

"How did he feel then? What was going on in your head? What did you think about it?"

_I get it…_Sasori realized. _She wants to know what prompted his memory…_He was also curious.

"I guess…I guess I liked it, un…" Sasori's heart stopped. "I-I was happy…but confused, un."

"So you liked it? It felt good?"

"Y-yes…" Sasori's heart leapt back into action, pounding against his chest like it was going to burst out at any second. Deidara...liked it? Why did Sasori think that was so wrong? It was okay that it felt good for both of them, but...how could a kiss from Sasori feel good? He was cold and uncaring, emotionless and unkind. Yes, he had done it on purpose, but he didn't really think too much about it. He had gone with his gut, which was weird, because he usually always second guessed himself. Deidara had seemed to dazzle him into near unconsciousness. Deidara just _thought _it felt good, because he had nothing to compare it to. Sasori couldn't believe anything else. It had been his first kiss as well, but Deidara was soft and cute, anyone would love his kiss. But Sasori, the ice prince, the coldest person the in universe, couldn't possibly be able to give someone as gorgeous as Deidara a meaningful kiss.

"Would you want Sasori to do it again?" Sasori held his breath, stiffening with tension. He knew Konan wanted him to kiss the blonde again, hoping he'd remember something else. For some reason, he thought that was unfair. A kiss was something special, especially one from him, which was like the apocolypse. Maybe he would refuse…

But he would never do that to Deidara. If it would help Deidara, well...there wasn't anything he could do.

"S-sure, un…I g-guess…" Sasori didn't budge.

"Only if you want to," Konan put in.

"I-I want to, un."

"Sasori?"

"Konan." He sounded sharp and irritated, and that's how he felt. He was irritated with his own feelings. How come he couldn't identify his emotions with a blink of an eye, like before? Before, everything was the same with him. He was either angry at someone, or couldn't care less about them. Deidara had sparked something new inside him, something besides anger and neutral, frosty carelessness. Why, though?!

"Would you?"

"Maybe." He saw Deidara's face fall, and he immediately regretted his answer. Why was he being so difficult? It wouldn't be so bad to kiss Deidara again, and if his memory came back, that would be even better.

"N-no...Deidara...I-I will..." He said awkwardly, brushing past Konan, making sure not to meet her smug gaze. He stood in front of Deidara, at first, not knowing what to do. Now, he was thinking about it, things he could do wrong, things he could do better. The first time, it was just spontaneious recklessness, done because...because...

_He was there._

They stared into each other's eyes for a time, just looking. Finally, Sasori made the first move, capturing Deidara's lips in a motionless, but a deep kiss.

Deidara snaked his arms to cling to Sasori's waist, and he had to stretch his back to reach Sasori's height. While Sasori's eyes remained open, Deidara's slid closed. Sasori willed himself to shut his eyes, but he couldn't. He couldn't move a muscle. He couldn't explain what this one was like. He definately wasn't worse, but it wasn't better either. Just...simple.

At last, when they broke away, Sasori turned away from Deidara's smile. He _did _look like he had enjoyed it, but was he just pretending to enjoy it, so as not to hurt Sasori's feelings?

No. Deidara was honest. He meant that dreamy, hopefully expression on his face. And Sasori had meant it too.

"Well?" Konan urged.

"N-nothing, un," Deidara looked down at his hands, which were quivering slightly. Sasori didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"Ah, well, that's alright," Konan smiled, but she was obviously discouraged. "You stay here, we'll be right back." She pulled Sasori away from the scene, Deidara looked after them wistfully. They slipped into another door, so they could whisper together. It looked like a closet...

"Interesting…I wonder why he reacted before, but not now," Konan mused, more to herself than to Sasori. "You both looked liked you enjoyed it."

"Konan, get on with it."

"Right…" She held up Deidara's necklace, looking over every inch. "Look at this…" There was a little clip on the side of the pendent, meaning it could be opened.

"I need something to open it with…" She opened a drawer and nudged around inside. While she rummaged, she said suddenly, "Sasori, you've developed feelings for him, haven't you?"

"N-no!" He insisted hotly. Now, he started being paranoid. If Konan could see this, maybe he wasn't hiding it as well as he thought. Maybe it was obvious, even behind his mask of calm certainty. He wasn't able to hide it as well as he thought, maybe it was showing. As his mind ran over these troubling thoughts, he realized that he _did _care for Deidara, and it was beginning to become more and more obvious to people around him.

"Then why did you kiss him?"

"I-I…I didn't…" He could not think of an answer to that.

"It's okay," Konan assured him. "He's very easy to like." Sasori wasn't convinced.

"Konan, I'm not gay," he lied. He never very well what his sexual orrientation was, but still...

"Are you sure about that?" The redhead frowned. He opened his mouth to say something more, but several loud crashing noises coming from the other room interrupted him.

They abandoned the necklace and burst through the door, gasping at the sight that had happened in less than five minutes:

Broken tools and glass littered the floor, tables knocked over and cabinets yanked out of the counters. Deidara sat cowering in the corner with his face covered in blood, and his right wrists hung limply at his side, clearly broken.

"Deidara!" Sasori rushed forward before Konan could move a step, taking the blonde's chin in his hands. "What happened?"

"I-I d-d-don't k-know, un," he stammered. "I don't know!"

"Deidara, calm down, it's going to be okay." Konan wanted to intervene, but Sasori was handling it just fine. She watched him in admiration as the redhead picked up the bloody blonde and brought him to her. They were oddly calm and collected as they took Deidara to another room, a clean one that didn't have as many glass objects. At least Sasori could use this an excuse to be over-protective. Now, he could say he was just doing his job, taking care of a child, instead of...

So much more...

In fact...

It had begun to rain, heavy drops that splattered the windows, making the situation even gloomier.

* * *

Sasori held Deidara's left hand as his right one was put in his a cast.

"I just remember feeling strange…" Deidara explained to them, as Konan plastered the white material over his wrist. "Like I couldn't breathe, un. And then…"

"I see..." Konan said, looking thoughtful. They had already taken care of all his cuts; it had taken a while just to get the bleeding to stop. He had been slashed by quiet a lot of glass.

"I'm really sorry, un." Deidara's voice shook, and Sasori gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "We're just glad you're okay." Deidara nodded sleepily, his head lolling to the side as Konan finished the cast. Sasori was being kind because he truly _was _worried, and didn't know what to do about it. It must have been really scary, suddenly "waking up" with a broken wrist and broken objects surrounding him. He wanted to do what he could.

Deidara persisted in walking himself, but Sasori followed close behind him in case he fell.

Deidara passed out instantly, whether from pain or tiredness, Sasori didn't know. He wasn't about to wake Deidara for anything, so he would just have to spend the night at the hospital. Konan wouldn't mind.

He and Konan stood in the shadow of the rain, watching.

"It's like we're a family," she sighed. "And he's the new member." Sasori didn't answer. "He's so cute, too. I'm falling for him."

"I…I…"

"Poor kid."

Deidara could have died. Seeing him all bandaged up with a cast had made Sasori's heart explode into a million pieces. His chest felt tight, like it was caving in on itself, suffocating him. He didn't die, but he had been beaten up pretty badly. When Sasori tried to imagine going home to his small apartment without Deidara beside him made his stomach convulse painfully. He had always distanced himself from others, made himself oblivious to what they thought of him. To him, having friends wasn't worth it. He ignored them all, afraid of rejection, but even more, afraid of being accepted. He couldn't handle being with someone, having to deal with their own feelings, what they did, how they thought. Until now, it was pretty easy to be cold and distant, like he didn't care about anyone. But now, it was getting harder and harder to pretend he didn't like Deidara.

Deidara was opening up a part of him, a dark, desolate part, full of dust and cobwebs from being so unused. It was deep inside in his heart, where love was supposed to be. All his life, nobody had been able to break past Sasori's armor, and now, in Deidara's seemingly tiny existence, he was molding Sasori into unmanagable shapes. This part he had opened was slowly flourising.

"Konan, I love him…" Sasori muttered tearfully. Knowing this, feeling this, was sending him perilously over the edge of his self-control, his rational behavior, his bitter, heartless nature. But...he wasn't ashamed. Deidara deserved the world, and Sasori wanted to give it to him. He wanted to promise everything, to change for Deidara. He deserved it so much, for turning Sasori into this kind of person, a person who was capable of love.

"Sasori…"

"I can't bear to do this anymore!" He sniffled, forcing himself to bottle up the tears that threatened to spill over. "I feel like everyday I'm going to lose him…" No, Deidara hadn't died today, but there were so many things that could happen. With his blank past, there were a million things that could happen, that could hurt him, kill him.

Konan awkwardly put her hand on Sasori's shoulder, but she couldn't think of anything comforting to say.

"I love him so much, Konan!" He kept his cry a whisper, and this time, he let the tears pour over. It didn't seem worth it to keep them in, his tears were all for Deidara. It had been so long since he cried, and it was abnormal to him, like he wasn't allowed to cry. This one vulnerable moment was enough to throw him off guard.

"I bet he loves you too…" Konan remarked.

"Yeah right."

"I mean it. You should tell him."

"Who knows? As soon as he gets his memory back, he could be long gone."

"Where would he go?" Sasori shrugged sadly. Konan said no more, finding nothing that she could say that would prove to the redhead that they had a chance together. But they were still so young…14 year old boys aren't supposed to know what love is, and shouldn't be so sure about it. But she couldn't tell him that. Sasori was mature for a teenager, and if anyone should know what true love really meant, it was Sasori. He had this knowledge inside him all along, he just refused to acknowledge it. But this special person was enough to bring Sasori out of his shell, and Dedara was exactly what he needed.

* * *

The next day, Deidara was ordered to stay at the hospital. Konan wouldn't tell him why, but he could see that she was just worried about leaving him alone with Sasori…if something else happened. They never got to take that cat-scan of Deidara's brain, figuring he'd had enough radiation after his wrist. Konan had scheduled it for that weekend, but Sasori wasn't looking forward to it at all. He didn't want to know what his parents had done to him.

Hatred bubbled up inside him. If he could turn back time, he would go back and tell Deidara's parents what he thought of him. He felt like it was his responsibility to protect Deidara, but it was so much more than a responsibility, a duty. He could shield Deidara from things, make sure nothing bad ever happened to him again. Loving him...he wasn't so used to.

Of course, Sasori didn't attend his job. The next day, he was planning on quitting, even if Konan didn't approve. She did say he could borrow money!

It was midday, and Deidara was complaining just how bored he was. Sasori was lying contently next to Deidara on the hospital bed, watching the news.

"The news is boring, un," the blonde said bitterly. "Why do you watch it, un?"

"Wait…" He abruptly sat up, his eyes locked on the television as a reporter said something about an insane murderer trying to escape out of jail. Sasori turned up the volume and listened.

"Kakuzu…" He said distantly, and there was a shot of the so-called Kakuzu locked up in a cell, going on about how "he's back."

"I-I know him!" Deidara cried, his eyes widened at the man, Kakuzu.

"How?" Sasori asked urgently. How would Deidara know a murderer that had been in prison for about a year now?

"I-I don't know, un…I just recognize him, I've seen him before, un." Sasori called for Konan, and she was at their side in an instant, listening for more information.

"The kid with the eye!" Kakuzu was yelling. "He's back, the blonde one! I can feel it, I'm going to get him this time!"

"The kid with the eye?" Konan repeated in puzzlement. "The blonde one…how old was Deidara when Kakuzu got caught for trying to kill that nine year old boy?"

"Nine," Sasori gasped, and they were up in an instant, Deidara watching anxiously.

Konan was on her laptop in a second, scrolling through the report on Kakuzu about a year ago.

"A boy, about nine years old, long blonde hair," Konan confirmed unsteadily. "Blue eyes, except for his left eye which was covered in a strange metal shield. Kakuzu claimed it to be powerful, that it could do anything, and he wanted it."

"That's Deidara." Sasori's heart fell into his feet.

"Yes, but why would Kakuzu want to kill him?!"

"He said his eye was powerful…could that be true?"

"…his parents _did _invent things like murder weapons, seeing what they put in his head." Then, Konan seemed to realize something. Her face lit up and she clumsily spilled out her discovery.

"Deidara said they forced that device in him because they wanted him to be able to do things, supernatural things." Sasori nodded quickly. "That's why they forced that thing into Deidara. They wanted to use him as another murder weapon, the greatest one yet. But they failed, and they were mad. Mad enough to try again. If they were going to try something else, they had to have done it fast. Another month, and they would have been gone. If they were able to do that, maybe…maybe his _eye _is powerful in ways that we didn't know."

"But how are we supposed to find that out?"

"I don't know…we have to wait until Hidan gets back, he's the only one who knows how to search for these kinds of things." Sasori's stomach seemed to do a double back flip, and he swallowed uneasily. It made sense. If Deidara's parents were so mad at their first failure, they would have tried again. And they had succeeded this time, making some powerful enough to make Kakuzu want it. He had gone after him a year before, trying to kill him. But somehow, Deidara had escaped. Someone, he managed to get out alive. But what happened before that? What was the new weapon Deidara's parents used on him, and then what? They were were burned alive where they stood, all evidence gone. Sasori wondered if the FBI or something would have to be involved. Two years ago, investigators decided there wasn't anything they could do about these killings. They didn't know about Deidara. But now that he was here, and Kakuzu was planning on coming back, would they change their minds?

Kakuzu was crafty, sneaky, talented. And now, he was coming back for Deidara. He was in real danger now. Yesterday, it was just several cuts and bruises. Now...someone was out to kill him.

"W-who is that, un?" Deidara asked innocently, and Sasori shook his head to rid himself of these horrible worries.

"No one, don't think about it," Konan instructed.

"But I-"

"Shh! How's your wrist feeling?"

"Fine, un…" Deidara answered in confusion. Even though Konan didn't want to tell him anything, and tried to distract him by always changing the subject, Deidara wasn't stupid. He could tell something was wrong, but he didn't want to press it. Deidara was such a good child...it was just cruel that he had to be born to such terrible people.

"Really…" She gently squeezed one of his fingers on his right hand, and he involuntarily cringed.

"That's what I thought." She sounded pleased, but her eyes were wide, her face taught. Even Deidara noticed this. "Sasori, stay with him while I fetch him something to take for the pain, okay?"

"O-of course!" Sasori focused on Deidara, hoping his stomach would settle so he would be able to come up with an explanation.

Someone had tried to _kill _Deidara. It was just unbearable. If someone as formidable as Kakuzu was after him, what other kind of psychos were out there?

He shivered at the very possibility of Deidara leaving him, instead masking his grimace with a sweet smile, he crawled back into his spot next to the blonde, switching of the news as it began another story on Kakuzu.

"Sasori, what's going on, un?" The pleading crack in Deidara's voice was dulcet, wonderful, and Sasori knew he couldn't lie to him. He'd tell him the truth…just not in so many words.

"We're trying to figure you out…" He answered honestly, absentmindedly brushing a strand of golden hair that had fallen out of place. It felt soft and smooth.

"You are, un?"

"Yes."

"Is it hard…?"

"A little, yes."

Am I making it worse, un?"

"No, of course not!" Sasori told him, but he looked doubtful. "You…" He paused. He was trying to such reassuring, but reassuring wasn't part of his emotion vocabulary. He was never good at communicating with others, and knowing just how strong his love for Deidara was made it a little bit harder. But he was willing to try, to try and change himself into someone Deidara would want.

The pain medication that Konan gave him made him immensely drowsy, and he fell asleep with Sasori staring at him with a mixture of things swimming in his eyes.

Sasori was about to fall asleep himself before Konan ordered him away, and he reluctantly peeled away from Deidara.

Konan wanted to talk to him, but she stopped when she saw Sasori's gaze, following it to Deidara. She sighed.

"What?"

"It's just…the way you look at him…you're making me jealous."

"Jealous?"

"I want someone to look at me like that."

"You're a grown woman! You can't be jealous of me." Neither of them said anything after that. He had never been loved like they way he loved Deidara, but he didn't think he craved it the way Konan did.

At least…not until now.

"Let's look at that necklace!" Konan said brightly, her previous sadness washed away.

"Right." The two of them worked diligently on the pendent of Deidara's necklace, trying to figure out a way to open it. Sasori, uncomfortable, tried to talk.

"Did you find anything in that room after…?"

"Nope. Nothing by the broken glass and debris, and all that. I don't think someone could have snuck in, trashed the place, attacked Deidara, and escaped before we heard it. I'm sure Deidara would have remembered _that_, so I guess he did it himself."

"Deidara wouldn't do that." Konan shrugged, furrowing her eyebrows in angry concentration as he fiddled with the golden triangle.

After about an hour of trying to slice it, cut it, pick it, Konan was even starting to talk to it to see if it would open.

"It's indestructible!" She cried, exasperated.

"Maybe Deidara can open it…" Sasori mused. "It's his, after all."

"I suppose we'll have to try tomorrow," Konan decided. "It's late, you should be getting home."

"I'm not leaving."

"Of course you're not," Konan chuckled. "I have to go take care of some paperwork, and tomorrow…we can go from there, okay?" Sasori was frustrated with how little he knew, but he hoped he'd be able to figure it all out soon. He was well aware that he would do anything to stay with Deidara, to make him into a normal person with a normal life.

A normal life with _him_.

"Night, Sasori," Konan said from the door, watching contemplatively as Sasori slipped un under the blanket next to Deidara. "If he wakes up, come get me."

"I'll handle it," he said, implying that Deidara had woken up in the middle of the night more than the times he told her about.

"You're a good parent, Sasori," Konan complimented him, shaking her head to herself as she quietly closed the door on them, her footsteps fading off until there was silence.

He scowled into the darkness, but believed that Konan was right. He was acting rather…parent-ish.

Unable to stop himself, he kissed Deidara's forehead before snuggling up next him.

* * *

A/N: I think I'm gonna kill someone. After I editted this COMPLETELY, I tried to save it, but it said I wasn't logged in. SO EVERYTHING I HAD WRITTEN WAS GONE. I had to rewrite it, and I couldn't remember most of the great stuff I had written before. So I HOPE YOU FUCKING ENJOY IT  
I need to go throw a brick at someone

~ The Fucking Cupcake Monster

(1) Starburst is like a light burst shown up a machine when someone is having a cat-scan. If there is metal with the person, it will reflect the picture, and the short word for it is starburst. It has a bigger word, but I really can't remember. I got this from 'House,' so I thought I might as well try to sound like I knew what I was saying and write it. I thought it made some sense....


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Room

**Camera Shy**

**Full Summary: Sasori never thought he'd have to do this. He never thought he'd fall so hard. He never thought he'd end up loving a ten year old boy who doesn't remember who he is. With a lifetime of awful memories and experiences, Deidara simply shows up on Sasori's doorstep one eventful night. Will Sasori be able admit his feelings in time and unearth Deidara's mysterious past? Or will Deidara have so many dark corners in his life that it's impossible to save him? **

**Pairings: SasoDei, DeiSaso, slight ItaHidan and KakuDei**

**Warnings: Yaoi lemon (shota), OOC, mild language, violence, rape, ect. ect...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters. **

**Other: **Talking, _thinking/dreams, _**writing**

* * *

The next morning, Sasori was surprised that he hadn't woken up once. Deidara had slept through the night for once.

Konan hadn't come in yet, and he guessed she was still asleep. It was relatively early, five thirty. Ever since Deidara had tumbled into his life, he kept waking up early, like he was trying to wake up before Deidara in case something happened.

Deidara was like a time bomb; so many things could happen in such little time, and Sasori would never see it coming. He was so used to having a plan, to foresee everything before it even happened.

Sighing, he absentmindedly stroked Deidara's hair, waiting for him to wake up. The blonde's even breathing made his own body rise and fall, and sometimes his breath would catch nervously, only to slow back down again.

It was fascinating.

"Sasori!" Konan cooed, bursting through the door about ready to say something more, but when she saw the still fast asleep Deidara, she quieted.

"Sasori, how come you hold him like that when he sleeps?" Konan inquired cheekily, sitting down a chair and putting her chin in her hands.

"I just do," he answered hotly.

"Oh right, I remember," she smiled, and Sasori's blood boiled. "I think it comforts him. He didn't wake up…with a nightmare."

Sasori didn't answer. It was true that Deidara had made it through the night, but was it really because he felt comforted by Sasori's presence? Did Sasori really have such an affect on a child?

There was a silence. Sasori didn't know what to say right know. After everything they had discovered yesterday, he just felt...drained. What could they do at this point? An insane killer was after Deidara, and they didn't even know why.

"Do you think we'll ever solve this?" He asked quietly, wringing his hands together in a very uncharacteristic gesture.

"I'm not sure," Konan answered. She never lied to Sasori, he was usually mature enough to take the truth, no matter how terrible it was. However, Deidara was a special matter. "People are after him, Sasori," she said ominously. "Whatever he is, it must be pretty important."

"What do you mean _whatever is he is_?" Sasori snapped. "He's a human, just like you!"

"I know, Sasori, I'm sorry--"

"Konan..." Sasori interrupted tartly. "You're scared of him, aren't you?" Konan bristled, but did not reply. "I know how dangerous he is, I'm not stupid. But he's just a kid!"

"Sasori, this isn't like you..." Sasori opened his mouth to retort, but he found he was just too exhausted to argue anymore. He didn't like fighting with Konan, after all, she was the closest thing to a mother he ever had. But he couldn't help it. He was so protective of Deidara. As far as he was concerned, everyone was a risk to the poor blonde.

_No, no, no! _He screamed at himself. He had to stop thinking that Deidara was a fragile little doll that could be broken with the tiniest touch. Although he sometimes seemed like that, he was still just a normal kid, forced into a terrible situation.

"I know we'll figure it out eventually, Sasori," Konan said softly. "Please don't give up. When we've done it, you can finally be with him..."

"I'm not going to _be _with him," Sasori said crudely, even though he knew he was lying to himself. "He's ten years old, Konan, I can't be thinking about that now!"

"But you want to." Sasori's heart pounded deep in his chest, trying to break free from his small, caged chest. When had his heart beat this fast for a person? When had he felt this much for a single person? He wanted to stay with Deidara more than anything in the world, but it was just too hard. It was wrong.

Konan gazed around the room, looking at Sasori, who was sitting across from her. Deidara still lay in bed, sleeping peacefully, though Konan couldn't believe he was still sleeping after the argument her and Sasori just had. Neither of them wanted to neglect Deidara because they were stressed; Deidara had enough of that by himself.

She spotted something poking out of Sasori's pocket, and hoping to lighten the mood, she hurriedly swiped it from him.

"Konan!" Sasori blushed, and Konan skimmed the piece of paper. When she realized what it was, she tried to smile, but for some reason, she felt more like crying.

"It's...Deidara's paper I printed for you," she choked. "You're been carrying it around everywhere, haven't you?" Sasori huffed indignantly in an attempt to defend himself. "Sasori. I...you really do love him, don't you?"

Sasori averted his eyes. "Yeah. I do." Konan reached over Deidara to hug Sasori, who awkwardly leaned his head on her shoulder. He wasn't used to affection, especially from Konan. But still, he appreciated it.

They pulled away uncomfortably when Deidara stirred, stretching and smiling when he noticed the two of them.

"Morning," Sasori greeted him, pushing aside Konan's sudden spring of emotion. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, actually, un," Deidara yawned, and sat up. Konan was silent, and Sasori stiffened; he could tell Konan wanted to ask something, but was wary about Deidara's reaction. They locked eyes, and Sasori gave her permission with a nod of his head.

"Deidara, do you know how to open this?" Konan asked carefully, handing the necklace to him. Deidara looked it over in confusion.

"It opens?" Konan sighed; Deidara obviously didn't remember how to open it, and for some reason, she felt like this thing was important. There was something inside the pendent, and she needed to find out what it was. It could be crucial to finding out what Deidara's strange past held.

"I-I'm sorry…un?" Deidara sounded puzzled, unsure of what he did wrong.

Konan was about to speak, but Sasori beat her to it, knowing she would have said something that would just make the blonde more upset.

"You didn't do anything," the redhead assured him, shooting Konan a warning glance. Deidara looked away, unconvinced.

Sasori felt like he was the only one who could reassure Deidara, the only one who could make him feel better. He though this because he knew Deidara so well, he knew his fears and his deepest emotions. Deidara trusted him, and for that, Sasori was glad.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged on without activity. Konan checked Deidara's wrist again, and all his cuts, reporting that they were all healing fine. Deidara should be out of the cast in a little more than a month, and he could go home tomorrow.

That evening, Konan used the same paperwork excuse to leave Sasori and Deidara alone.

"Sasori, un, I can't sleep," Deidara muttered, and Sasori pulled him against his chest comfortably. It was a relfex, making Deidara feel relaxed.

"Aren't you tired?" He asked.

"No…I'm wide awake, un."

"Why?"

"I can't stop thinking about my pendent, un. I think I need to say something to make it open, un…but I can't remember what it is…" Sasori held his breath. Deidara remembered something, but it was vague and uncertain. Sasori wanted to tell him everything would be alright, but he knew they wouldn't. At least, not yet.

"Don't worry yourself about it," Sasori told him, though he was frustrated at well. Who knew what kind of things they would know if the object inside the pendent was revealed to them? He wasn't blaming Deidara for not being able to remember, but he was getting discouragingly impatient.

"But it's important, un…" Sasori inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. A ten year old kid was supposed to be happy and carefree, not creased with worry like Deidara was. It reminded him of himself.

"Please don't worry," Sasori said it before he could think about it. He sounded so pleading, begging Deidara to just forget about it. He hadn't even had that much time to get to know Deidara; it usually took months or years to fall in love with someone, and yet Sasori had done it in less than a month. Maybe normal time was backwards for them, being as young as they were. It was dangerous, loving a young child with as much intensity as adults who had been together for decades had for each other.

He shivered against Deidara's warm body. It made him tingle with excitement as well as anguish when he admitted all this to himself. If it caused him this much feeling thinking about it in his mind only, he couldn't imagine what he'd feel when he spilled this all out to Deidara.

Like he would ever do that...

"I still can't sleep, un," Deidara grumbled.

"Is there anything I can do?" Sasori whispered against Deidara's hair. It was like an itch in his body that he couldn't scratch; if Deidara wasn't happy, than Sasori couldn't rest easy.

"Um…" Deidara snuggled against Sasori's chest, making him inhale sharply with surprise. Deidara said nothing after that, and Sasori guessed what he wanted.

Just for Sasori to stay with him.

Sasori stared ahead at the wall, hardly able to believe where he was now. If Deidara had never appeared, he would be at home right now, staying up late in his tiny, single apartment, waiting for tomorrow to come. He'd be alone and heartless, instead of curled up next to this child, feeling warm and...loved.

He looked down briefly and realized Deidara was wearing his necklace again. When had he put it back on? _Why _had he put it back on?

Perhaps he was just as discouraged as Sasori, like he'd never figure out his life no matter how hard he tried. He wasn't his fault.

Sasori sighed; his mind was loaded with too many worries and fears.

For Deidara.

* * *

Sasori slept soundly enough until he was snapped awake by that same pitiful whimpering he heard almost every night. It bothered Sasori even though he was so used to it.

He rubbed the blonde's forehead delicately, getting him to look up with a pleading gaze, he blue eye filled with tears.

"Have a nightmare?" Sasori asked calmly, trying to keep his voice level. It was the middle of the night, and Deidara needed him.

"No, un…" Deidara said quietly, but the redhead knew at once it wasn't the truth. He could tell what Deidara's true feelings were instantly, no matter what the blonde claimed. It was like reading an open book.

"What's the matter, then?" Sasori said gently.

"I just…can't sleep, un," he said again, shifting so he could swing his legs over Sasori's knees. Sasori went rigid. Was Deidara really put at ease with such contact? Sasori was never a physical person, but he knew he needed to become one for Deidara's sake. If he flinched at every kiss and hand-hold, he was sure Deidara wouldn't take kindly to that.

"It's okay…" He reassured unsteadily, hoping that Deidara would just drift back to sleep after he relaxed him a while, but twenty missed passed and the boy was still alert.

Sasori felt the shuttering of Deidara's eyelashes on his neck as the blonde blinked furiously, trying to keep his tears in.

"Deidara, you can cry if you want to," Sasori said, surprised that he would say such a thing. He didn't like it when Deidara cried, it just made him feel awkward and miserable, like he'd never be content again if he didn't stop the tears from falling from those perfect azure eyes. All his life, he hated tears. That kind of things was a sign of weakness, a sign that a person couldn't control their feelings. But Deidara was a child...so much different than Sasori.

"I'm not going to cry, un," Deidara insisted tightly, but after that, Sasori's shirt abruptly became wet.

The redhead's heart melted, and the peculiar sad feeling crept up on him again.

Soon, Deidara was outright sobbing, and Sasori was finding it hard to keep listening. He didn't remember crying that much when he was ten, but then again, he didn't remember much about when he was younger except being alone with his bitchy old grandmother.

Deidara cried for another couple minutes, and Sasori suddenly wondered if Konan could hear. If she did, would she come in to investigate? Or would she let Sasori handle it?

Finally, the blonde's weeping subsided to uneven gasps, his hands balled up into fists at Sasori's back.

"You okay?" He asked warily, and Deidara nodded shakily. He wanted to thank Sasori, at least show some gratefulness for putting up with him for so long, but he couldn't form words.

"It's not your fault you can't remember," Sasori said softly. Deidara didn't answer, so Sasori said nothing more.

* * *

The next morning was Saturday, and Sasori knew Konan was planning a cat-scan, and he was dreading it. In Deidara's case, they didn't need to make normal appointments. Sasori wasn't sure he could handle all that anyway; taking Deidara to the hospital and waiting hours for something to happen.

When he awoke, Deidara was already wide awake, but did not move away from Sasori's embrace. His blonde hair stuck out at all angles, sticking to his neck with sweat.

Sasori closed his eyes. He was hoping Konan would take pity on them and let them sleep, but of course, she interrupted.

"Wake up!" She ordered, prodding Sasori's forehead. "It's already noon!" The redhead groaned, reluctantly lifting Deidara away from him so they could stand up.

"I know I said tomorrow, but if everything goes well, you can go home today," she reported cheerfully. "And there's supposed to be thunderstorms coming, so be careful!" Konan chattered on as she led Deidara and Sasori to another room.

Just thinking about it made Sasori shiver. He didn't know why he was being so paranoid about this, he hadn't been this upset when Deidara was x-rayed for his wrist! Maybe because it was a completely different matter for a completely different reason…

They met Shizune at the door, and she nodded politely to Sasori, who nodded back.

"Shizune will be handling this," Konan told them. "It won't take long. Have fun!" She waved and glided off, while Shizune led them to a different room with a cabinet inside.

"Change into a gown," Shizune told Deidara. "And I'll take you from there, okay?" Deidara nodded, stepping awkwardly into the tiny room. Sasori prepared to wait, but Deidara shuffled nervously.

"Aren't you going to come in?" He mumbled.

"Oh...um, alright..." Sasori padded into the room and the shut the door. It was rather cramped, and Sasori fidgeted his fingers behind his back. He turned around as Deidara stripped and put on the blue hospital gown. Though it was meant for children, it was obviously too big for his frail body.

It was over in a heartbeat, and they were soon being lead to another dimly lit room. Sasori was feeling more like a parent each day. It would usually be a child's mother in his position, telling him it would be over soon and they would go home and everything would be fine. But Sasori couldn't come up with anything reassuring.

"Alright," Shizune began to explain. "Lie on this table here." Deidara hopped up on the metal table in front of a circular machine. "Now just be still for a second." Shizune hurriedly took Deidara's pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. "Have you ever done this before?" She asked, and Deidara shook his head. "Well, what we're going to do is just put you in this big machine and take pictures. Kay?" Deidara nodded slowly. "While you're in there, you'll have to hold your breath for a few seconds, but it won't take long at all. Before that, we have to fill your body with a very small amount of iodine, which will help us see your brain better past all the bones and muscles." Deidara nodded again. Sasori still didn't like the sound of this. "You might feel a little sharp prick." Sasori held his breath and Shizune placed a fine needle to Deidara's arm, which was connected to another machine. She pressed it gently, and Deidara cringed. Sasori almost wanted to protest, but he didn't dare.

"A few sensations are a metallic taste in your mouth, or your body feeling hot," Shizune explained. "Now I'm going to just push you in here..." Shinzue rolled the table into the portal-like entrance. She then turned to Sasori. "Please wait behind that window." Sasori obeyed and stepped behind the wall, watching through the thick square of glass.

"Hold your breath," Shizune said, and then pulled a lever on the circular machine. A light flashed and a thundering noise ensued. "Okay, let it out."

Sasori could hardly see Deidara from there, just the top of his yellow head. He wanted to see how he was, what was happening, _something_...

It was just a regular medical procedure, he kept telling himself. Nothing unusual.

Shizune repeated the process three times: injecting Deidara with the fluid, then taking another picture. Deidara handled well, not speaking once. Sasori wasn't sure if it was because he was okay, or just scared.

Finally, it was over.

"Okay, Deidara, go ahead and stand up," Shizune said. Deidara stumbled to his feet, and Sasori ran over, catching his arm and holding him steady. "How do you feel?"

"A-alright..." Deidara answered. "Still hot."

"That'll fade soon. You can put your clothes back on, and the results should be here by tomorrow! June 29 I believe."

"Okay," Sasori bowed shortly. "Thank you."

"Mm hmm."

Konan was waiting for them once Deidara was dresse, and she cheerfully patted Deidara's head.

And now, all they could do was wait.

* * *

Sasori and Deidara were getting ready to go home. Deidara looked tired, and Sasori was pretty exhausted himself.

Thunder cracked outside. Konan had been right about the storms. Sasori looked outside. It was raining harshly, slamming against the window as hail joined it. Thunder boomed and lightening crackled across the dark black sky.

Konan tiptoed in.

"It looks pretty bad," she said. "I don't want you walking in that, Sasori. I think you should stay here until it calms."

"Stay here?"

"You can stay in one of the over-night rooms, if you'd like. They're on the second floor." Sasori nodded, and Konan lead him and Deidara upstairs. Deidara was quiet, yawning as they walked. "Don't worry," Konan told them. "Hopefully, it will be over soon." And she was gone.

Sasori sat down on one of the beds and folded his hands together. Deidara paced.

"Deidara, are you alright?" Sasori asked anxiously.

"Fine, un," Deidara said curtly.

"You don't look fine..." Deidara shot him a look Sasori couldn't understand. It was both sad and suffering, mournful and heated.

Sasori overlooked Deidara's irritable behavior, instead stood up and touched Deidara's shoulder, making him stop moving. Deidara turned, blue eyes meeting chocolate eyes.

"Relax," Sasori told him. "Everything will be fine." Deidara still looked disbelieving, but he let Sasori set him down carefully on the bed. He looked seriously into the sky-blue pools. "Please believe that none of this is your fault. Everything was just unfaily put on your shoulders. But if you would just understand that this isn't over, I know you'll be okay."

Deidara's eyes welled up.

"Sasori, un..." Sasori smiled weakly, but Deidara's glisenting eyes were rolling backwards.

"Deidara?"

And then he fainted.

* * *

A/N: How long has it been now? Much too long. Well then.  
Hope you all enjoyed this incredibly late update. Sorry it's taking so long. I just got a cast on my left wrist, so I'm typing unbelievably slow. Hopefully some more updates coming today, a rare Saturday free of homework.  
And yes, I know what a cat-skan is like. I had one a couple months ago. Though I'd use my knowledge for something.

- The Cupcake Monster


End file.
